A Fairy Tale
by jennamarie
Summary: Once upon a time, in a land of magic and mystery, as ageless and timeless as fairytales themselves, there lived an evil fairy.
1. Chapter 1

Fairy Tale

Gather 'round and listen closely children, and I'll tell you a story…

Once upon a time, in a land of magic and mystery, as ageless and timeless as fairytales themselves, there lived an evil fairy.

Now this was a particularly evil fairy. He had spent the last several decades spreading a black plague across several European countries, incited numerous witch hunts that led to many innocent people being tortured and burned alive, and invented a spell that would destroy attention spans in young children.

Oh yes, this fairy made evil even eviler than usual, and his name was Muraki.

Well, as you can imagine, after centuries of this malevolence, Muraki finally began to feel that he had seen it all, done it all, and been bored by it all.

So he decided that it was time to take a small nap; possibly a century or two… As long as he got up every ten years or so to use the potty it would be fine. And he would wake up in a whole new future with new ways to inflict horror upon the human race.

So the evil fairy Muraki travelled to a castle in the heart of a deep, dark forest to sleep.

The castle had been left to him by his father; also called Muraki (Muraki the Unremarkable), who had inherited it in turn from his father, also called Muraki (Muraki the Bloody Fruitcake), who had been a mad scientist of the first water.

It was this first Muraki of course; who, in the course of his slightly less than moral experiments, ended up infecting his own bloodline with fairy DNA. Thus paving the way for the birth of the evil, psychotic, sociopathic, nasty, evil fairy Muraki.

With wings, of course.

Enter the star-crossed lovers.

These two, both having been banished from the society of 'normal people', suffering hurt and hardship, found each other through events that would make a marvellous and compelling story, but are of little consequence here.

In each other, these two found acceptance, friendship, and eventually, love. They travelled together, keeping themselves isolated for the sake of peace, happy with their own company.

So it is no surprise, being as far off the beaten path as they were, that one day, they came across this castle.

At this point it should be pointed out that while these two had been unfairly banished from 'normal' society, they were in fact, not normal. The older of the two, Asato Tsuzuki, was of uncertain linage. Who or what his parents were were unknown; but Tsuzuki had inherited the most unusual eye colour, remarkable spiritual powers, and an even deeper and darker power that frightened even him when he touched it.

The younger, Hisoka Kurosaki, was an empath, able to feel the emotions of others and project his own. It was this second ability that was the cause of the their tragedy.

Hisoka had never experienced anything in his life like Tsuzuki, and for the first time in his life he was happy and in love. As this was a new experience for the youth, he did not realize he was projecting these emotions quite strongly; and as Tsuzuki felt the same, he failed to notice the projection as well.

But the evil fairy Muraki noticed. He noticed the moment the foreign emotions woke him up, approximately two moments after the star-crossed lovers entered the castle. All that love and happiness gave the evil fairy a massive headache, not to mention he had been woken up at least 97 years too early, Muraki was understandably peeved.

So rather than asking the couple to leave, or dropping them off the nearest cliff (which he considered) he decided to destroy the emotions at their source. The evil fairy Muraki confronted the couple and cast a spell that would destroy Hisoka's love for Tsuzuki.

Tsuzuki cried out that the evil fairy couldn't do such a malicious thing; and as it turned out, Muraki couldn't abolish Hisoka's love completely. But the fairy's spell was strong enough to block and contain Hisoka's true feelings; so it was that Hisoka still loved Tsuzuki, but he only knew it and felt it for ten minutes after midnight each day.

The evil fairy found Tsuzuki's misery and despair, and Hisoka's anger and desperation so amusing that he trapped them there with him inside the castle.

Inside the castle was a world unto itself. The rules governing life changed in subtle ways, and no one aged. Their torment could last as long as the evil fairy wished.

Tsuzuki lived every day for those ten minutes when Hisoka loved him, and every day he died a little as he watched that love fade away as his time ran out.

Hisoka's anger grew in proportion to Tsuzuki's misery. For 23 hours and 50 minutes he was aware that something was missing, something important was gone from him and was just out of his reach. It was frustrating and enraging, and the man with the purple eyes always looked at him so sadly…

And this is where our story begins…


	2. Chapter 2

"You want to what?"

"Kill the demon of course." The leader of the superstitious and stereotypical village council said. "Everyone know that a demon took up residence in the forbidden castle, and now a drought was come down upon the land. So we will slay the demon and end the drought."

Seiichiro Tatsumi closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his forefingers while he counted to 10. His Lord the Count, had sent him out to discover the reason for the growing discontent in his lands, and here, right here was the stupidity at the source of it. "There is no demon causing the drought Kodu-san, and the drought would not be affecting your village so badly if your people would dig a few wells."

The entire council eyed him sceptically. "Water comes from the sky, not the ground Tatsumi-san." Kudo-san informed him with great authority.

Tatsumi stared at him blankly, waiting for anyone to contradict this monumentally idiotic statement. When no one did, he sighed and dropped his shoulders in defeat. He would have to try different tactics. "Very well, I will get rid of this demon. But if I get rid of this demon, and the drought does not end, then your village will dig some wells."

The village council mulled over Tatsumi's condition, as there was a possibility that they may have to some work, but finally agreed.

"Have you ever slain a demon before?" a senior member of the council asked.

"Dozens of times." Tatsumi lied blandly.

The council looked pleased by this and began debating what type of weapons should be sent with him.

Tatsumi listened to this discussion for several long moments with his arms folded across his chest and his foot tapping a rapid taboo on the ground. When the debate turned to the merits of a good sized rock, Tatsumi interrupted. "I have no need of any of your weapons. The only thing I require from you is a guide."

The entire council stared at him looking rather bewildered.

"A guide?"

Still no sign that anyone recognized the word.

"Someone to show me where the forbidden castle is?"

"Oh, of course!" Kudo-san said nodding vigorously. "Well make Watari do it!"

This idea was met with great approval from the rest of the council.

**XXX**

Watari turned out to be a man around his own age, possibly a little younger, with long blond hair and an easy smile. They found him lounging against a tree at the edge of a barley field.

The man didn't seem at all phased to find himself surrounded by the entirety of the village council and one stranger. He looked up and grinned lazily.

"Good morning."

Tatsumi glanced to the west where the sun was definitely on the decline, and felt a moment of trepidation over his task. "Good afternoon."

"Watari-san," Kudo-san moved to stand directly in front of the blonde. "You will take Tatsumi-san to the forbidden castle so he may slay the demon."

"Will I?" Watari looked up. "And why would I do that?"

The leader of the council glared at him. "Because if you don't we will burn you at the stake."

Tatsumi was shocked at this pronouncement, but Watari's grin widened and quick amber eyes skipped over to him in time to take in his expression before he schooled it back into neutrality.

"Then I suppose I will have to take Tatsumi-san to the forbidden castle." Watari turned his grin back to the council members. "I believe I will have some free time next year. You can call on me in August."

The council members all looked furious, and Kudos face was beginning to resemble a tomato. "Now Watari-san! You will take him there right now!"

Watari let out a deep sigh. "Very well then!" He jumped to his feet. "Let's be off to the forbidden castle!" And the man walked away from the group heading across the field, whistling.

The council glared after him en masse, and Tatsumi looked between them and Watari's departing form before making a hasty bow and hurrying after the blonde man.

"Watari-san! Wait!"

Watari paused only long enough to glance back over his shoulder before continuing across the barley field, but he slowed enough to allow Tatsumi to catch up with him.

"So, you're going to slay the demon?" Watari asked without looking back.

Tatsumi snorted. "I don't particularly intent to slay anybody."

Watari relaxed, and eased his pace a little more so that Tatsumi could walk beside him. "That's good. The rumors of a demon in the forbidden castle go back almost a hundred years, but the drought the council is sure is the demon's fault has only affected the village in the last year or so. If there is a demon, it's probably not the cause of it."

Tatsumi shrugged. "I doubt there is a demon, if there is, I'll take care of it."

"By slaying it?"

"Not unless such a thing becomes necessary. Allowing the villagers to think I'm slaying their demon is just a means to an end. Once it is gone and the drought does not end, they will have to dig wells. It would be much easier to skip the charade, but…" Tatsumi shrugged again, "we do what we must to gain a peaceable solution. How far away is this castle?"

Watari brushed his long hair back from his face as he considered. "Four or five days if we walk, but then we'd have to ask the village elders for supplies, and they'd tell us they don't have any. Or we could ask them for a couple of horses, and they'd tell us they don't have any. Or we could just steal a couple of horses…" Watari cocked his head and assumed a thoughtful mien even as he continued to walk. "Yes, I think that would be the most expedient route. Let's steal some horses."

Tatsumi shook his head and quickened his pace until he was in the lead. "I doubt that having the Count's representative stealing horses would go over well with the villagers." he said as he headed towards the house where he'd met with the village council.

"Well, of course we wouldn't tell them…" Watari pointed out logically.

"Nor is it necessary for us to go to such extremes." Tatsumi finished as he circled the corner of the house and gestured towards a small open buggy harnessed to a pair of well matched chestnut geldings. "I've been travelling on the Count's business for several weeks now, and it would take far too long on foot. I'm well supplied, so we are able to leave as soon as you are ready."

Watari pouted, and Tatsumi got the distinct impression that the man was disappointed that they didn't need to steal any horses. He gave an exasperated sigh and climbed into the buggy. Picking up the reins, he gave Watari a questioning look. "Well?"

Watari slumped slightly in defeat and hauled himself into the buggy beside Tatsumi. "My mother's house was a ways outside the village, my things are there." He pointed east. "Just head that way and we'll pass it."

Tatsumi nodded and clicked the horses into motion. "So," he began, "it seems that the village council doesn't like you much."

Watari grinned. "Was it that obvious?"

"If I may ask, what sin was so erroneous that they would threaten to burn you?"

"I was born."

"Excuse me?" That was not an answer that Tatsumi had expected. "Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't all of us born at some point or another?"

"Well… yes," Watari conceded, "but my mother was a witch, so being born to her was a terrible sin, at least according to the village."

"Your mother was a witch?"

"Uh huh. Typical witch, turning princes into frogs, casting spells on spindles, that kind of thing." Watari smiled wistfully. "She was a wonderful mother."

Any reply Tatsumi would have made was lost as they crested a hill and the burned out remains of a fair sized cottage came into view.

"Here!" Watari exclaimed and jumped down from the buggy. He darted into the blackened shell, returning several minutes later with a large bag thrown over his shoulder.

"What happened here?" Tatsumi asked quietly as Watari threw his bag into the buggy and climbed in after it.

Watari shrugged. "The villagers set it on fire after my mother died."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's just a house."

"Still…" Tatsumi looked back over his shoulder as they left the ruins behind.

"It's okay!" Watari reassured him, "But it still would have been nice to steal some horses."

The corner of Tatsumi's mouth quirked upwards. "How long has it been since your mother passed?" The cottage hadn't look newly burnt, and there was no smell of the fire lingering.

"A little over a month." Watari confirmed. "I was in Paris when I received a letter from my mother telling me she was ill. I left immediately of course, but I didn't get here until a week after she had died." He gestured back over his shoulder. "I was able to recover some of her things that the villagers didn't manage to destroy completely."

"I'm surprised the villagers didn't turn her over to the Tribunal if they disliked her so much."

Watari scowled. "The Witches Tribunal? They would never try a real witch, they'd all be turned into toads. That group goes around torturing and killing innocent people who get turned in for not so innocent reasons."

"I take it you don't like them much."

Watari frowned, his demeanour much more serious. "I saw one of their 'trials' once. Those people are sadistic and barbaric."

Sensing a tirade coming, Tatsumi opted to change the subject. "What were you doing in Paris?"

Watari brightened immediately. "Mother sent me here to continue my education. I attended universities, went to court, studied with herbalists, alchemists and surgeons. It was great!"

"Are you a witch?"

"Nope!" Watari admitted cheerfully. "I mean, well mother did teach me a few things, but I can't do much, and I'm just… well, I'm not."

**XXX**

Dusk found them far from the village, and Watari was optimistic that they would be able to reach the forbidden castle by nightfall the next day. Tatsumi glanced over to where the blonde was curled up sleeping on the buggy's cushioned seat. It had to be softer than the piece of ground he had found for himself.

Leaning against a tree, Tatsumi closed his eyes and tried to relax, he would need what sleep he could get.

According to Watari, there were no roads leading to the castle, and the forest was about to become much thicker. They would have to abandon the buggy and travel on on the horses.

Tatsumi winced at the thought. He hadn't been on horseback in several years, and they had no saddles…


	3. Chapter 3

Tatsumi gritted his teeth as he threw his leg over the back of the horse, and ever so slowly, lowered himself to the ground. He kept a tight grip on the animals mane praying that it wouldn't try wandering off anywhere before he had regained at least partial feeling in his legs. The riding wasn't bad when they started out at dawn, but for each hour they rode, the horse's spine had become more and more prominent. The bloody beast had surly made a eunuch of him, and he was sure his backside was going to hurt sooner or later, but for the moment it seemed to be gone off to the same place his legs had gone.

"See Tatsumi! We made it! I told you we would!" Watari bounced by smiling and excited, he slapped Tatsumi on the back as passed, nearly sending the taller man to the ground.

Tatsumi glared at the bubbly man, silently vowing to painfully murder him as soon as possible.

Watari bounced over to the wall ahead of them and started pulling an overgrowth of greenery down from an ornate gate.

Tatsumi looked up beyond the wall at the castle. From outside the wall all he could see was dark brick and many turrets silhouetted against the setting sun. The castle was obviously huge.

Watari pushed against the gate, rattled it, and then pushed again.

"Is it locked?" Tatsumi asked.

"Nope," Watari answered as the gate gave an ear-splitting screech as it gave way and move about an inch. "Just rusty."

Tatsumi released his grip on the horses mane and wobbled over to help force the gate open. It took both men's effort to create an opening wide enough to lead the horses through.

Carefully they picked their way through dense vegetation. Once, Tatsumi thought, this may have been a lovely garden, but now it was closer to jungle.

"How long do you think it's been since anyone's been through here?" Watari wondered aloud.

"Decades, maybe centuries." Tatsumi answered him, then shook his head in amusement realizing that both of them had been speaking in whispers. He cleared his throat and consciously raised his voice to a normal volume. "I doubt there's anyone here."

**XXX**

The double doors were huge.

Almost twice Tatsumi's height, the dark mahogany wood looked aged and weathered, and entirely solid. Tatsumi eyed them speculatively before turning to Watari. "Do you think we should go back to the gate and camp there for the night?"

Watari raised a brow. "Why? Does the thought of going through the giant intimidating doors into the creepy forbidden castle at night cause you a twinge?"

"Perhaps a small one," Tatsumi admitted, "but I'd rather confront the unknown when I can see it." He gestured around. "It is rather dark."

Watari rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Have you ever seen a vampire?"

"No."

"How about a werewolf, ever seen one of those?"

"No."

"Have you ever met a cannibal?"

"Well I once met a woman who could skin you alive and swallow you whole."

Watari choked. "Not quite what I was thinking about, but probably scarier than anything we'll find inside." With that, Watari stepped up to the doors and started banging his fist on them. "Anyone in there?"

"No! Go away!" came a voice from the other side of the doors.

Watari and Tatsumi exchanged a glance. "We're travellers," Watari began, making his voice as pleading as possible, "looking for a place to spend the night."

"Go away!" the voice called again.

"You'd send us away? To be eaten by wolves and bears and starve to death?"

Tatsumi rolled his eyes and wondered how anyone could starve to death while being eaten by wolves and bears. But Watari's melodramatics had elicited a response.

One of the heavy doors cracked open and a purple eye peeked out at them. "You can't stay here! It's not safe!"

Tatsumi moved closer to the door. "Are you the master here?"

"No." the voice admitted hesitantly, "I'm more of a prisoner, and you'll become prisoners too if you come in here, or worse!"

"We'll take our chances!" Watari announced cheerfully and he caught the edge of the door and pushed it wide.

The owner of the purple eye staggered as he lost his grip on the door, pulled himself up straight to keep from toppling, and then slumped in defeat, his dark hair falling forward to hide his unusual eyes. "Fine, come in then."

They followed the man into a large entrance hall, high ceilings, stone walls lined with bright tapestries, wide hallways leading off to various wings, and a large curving staircase that lead up to a second level.

Small tables were arranged around the entrance hall as if to display objects d'art; on one table was a coiled whip, well oiled and gleaming. Another table held a jewel encrusted mirror, a third, a slender silver dagger…

Watari squeezed Tatsumi's hand as they passed by the tables.

Tatsumi looked down at his companion and was surprised to see the blonde was frowning as he observed the displayed objects. "Excuse me," he called out to the purple eyed man, "what are these things?"

The man shrugged, looking upset. "Just things that Muraki collects; the whip belonged to a marquis in France, the mirror to a queen who was jealous of her stepdaughter, the knife was given to a princess by her sisters to kill her lover. Muraki likes these kind of things."

"Muraki?" Watari asked, sounding a little repulsed.

The man nodded. "He's the master here." He turned and walked to yet another table that held a small ornately carved wooden box and dropped a key into it.

"And what's that?" Tatsumi asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

The man smiled a little ruefully. "It's a key that opens any door in the castle." The smile suddenly died, to be replaced by a small scowl. "Except the dungeons."

Tatsumi glanced back at Watari, expecting to exchange a look with the blonde, only to find that Watari seemed to be ignoring the conversation in favour of glaring at Muraki's collection. Tatsumi turned back to the purple eyed man. "I thought you said that you are a prisoner here?"

"I am."

"But you have a key that unlocks all the doors?"

The man's smile this time was less rueful, and more bitter. "That doesn't mean I can leave." He turned away and gestured for Tatsumi and Watari to follow him. "This way."

They followed him out of the entrance hall, down a narrow passage way and into a small room with soft couches and chairs, a small table and a roaring fire.

"Saya!" the man called out as he crossed the room. "Are you in here?"

A petite blonde girl popped up from one of the chairs. "Oh, Tsuzuki! Did you need…." she trailed off catching sight of Tatsumi and Watari. "Who the hell are they?"

"Saya, they just…"

"Do you have any idea what will happen if Master Muraki finds them here?" Saya screeched.

"Yes."

The girl fell silent at Tsuzuki's flat reply.

"I know exactly what will happen if Muraki finds them here. If they're lucky, he'll kill them. If they're not so lucky, he'll use them in one of his games, and then kill them. And if they're really unlucky, he'll decide to keep them as pets like the rest of us."

Saya deflated and looked like she was about to cry. "Tsuzuki…" she reached out as if to touch his arm, but he took a step back and gave her a small smile.

"It's fine Saya, but do you think you could get us something to eat and drink?"

She nodded and hurried out of the room.

Tsuzuki gestured for Tatsumi and Watari to sit before taking a seat himself.

Tatsumi perched on one side of a loveseat, back straight, regarding the purple-eyed man inquisitively; while Watari sank down next to him and curled his legs beneath him.

"Thank you for allowing us in," Tatsumi began, and Tsuzuki nodded acknowledgement.

"He's Seiichiro Tatsumi," Watari interrupted, "and I'm Yutaka Watari. Who are you?"

"Asato Tsuzuki," their host said, smiling faintly at Watari's bluntness.

"Are you a demon?" Watari asked.

Tsuzuki looked surprised. "I… I don't know. Muraki says I am, Hisoka says I'm not. I suppose I could be."

Watari turned to Tatsumi with a mock serious expression on his face. "Are you going to slay him?" he asked.

Tatsumi scowled at the blonde beside him. "Of course not, you son of a witch!"

Watari grinned impishly. "That sounds… rather dirty when you say it like that!"

Tatsumi rolled his eyes in exasperation and turned back to Tsuzuki. "Tell me about this Muraki."

Tsuzuki nodded. "Muraki is master of this castle. He has infused the whole structure with his magic."

"His magic?" Watari questioned.

Tsuzuki nodded again. "He's part fairy."

Watari looked appalled. "That's not possible; fairies don't breed outside their species, even if they were compatible with human, which they're not."

Tsuzuki shrugged. "He's half human, and half fairy. I don't know how it happened, but it did."

"Excuse me," Tatsumi interrupted, "fairies?"

Watari faced him looking utterly serious, all traces of humour gone. "Fairies are nasty, wild and mean little buggers. Fortunately they're also tiny. Mother told me about a man who came to her and told her that he fell into a bees nest, but when she examined him she found he was covered with fairy bites. They also have strong magic, which is why they can cause so much mischief despite their size. They can lead people astray, make people disappear, affect the mind and drive a person crazy; nobody knows just what fairies are capable of!"

"So this Muraki…"

"It's not possible!" Watari reiterated. "If you were to combine a fairy's magic and disposition with a human's size and ambition, you would…"

"Get a creature who would hold people prisoner and make their lives miserable for it's own enjoyment. Someone who collects items that have aided evil and calls them treasures. Someone for whom death is sport and torture is an amusement." Tsuzuki finished calmly.

"Exactly," Watari said, his eyes wide and staring at the violet eyed man.

Tatsumi cleared his throat, bringing the others attention to himself. "So, this Muraki, despite being a monster in his own right, is not the cause of the drought in the village?"

Tsuzuki shook his head. "That's not really his style. He's not really into long-term results. I mean, he likes to be able see the results of his games immediately, and a drought would be too much effort for too little reward.

Tatsumi nodded. "Thank you, that's all we really needed to know. Watari?"

Watari stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. "You're not thinking of leaving, are you?"

"I came here to discover if there was a demon causing the drought in the village." He sad giving Watari a pointed look. "There is not; nor is it caused by anything else in this castle. I can now go back to the village and force them to dig the necessary wells to support the village through the remainder of the drought."

"But what about Muraki?" Watari demanded.

"What about him?"

"We have to do something about him! We can't just leave!"

"Watari…."

"Tsuzuki!" The maid that had left earlier burst back into the room and all three men spun towards her. "Tsuzuki! It's ten minutes to midnight!"

Tsuzuki jumped up. "Thanks Saya!" He turned to his company. "I have to go, I'll be back in a little bit!" With that, he rushed out of the room.

Tatsumi and Watari exchanged a glance, nodded in unspoken agreement, and followed after him.


	4. Chapter 4

Tatsumi and Watari moved quickly to catch up to Tsuzuki as he hurried through the castle. Rounding a corner, they saw him pass through a heavy iron-bound door. They followed, finding the door contained, not a room, but a long narrow curving stair leading down into darkness.

Suddenly there was a flickering of light ahead as if a candle had been lit, and they started down as it began to move away from them.

Tatsumi gestured at Watari, signalling that maybe they should wait, but Watari shook his head and grabbed Tatsumi's hand and dragged him down the steps.

The stair ended in a dark corridor with stone wall. Still following after the flickering light, they could now see Tsuzuki ahead of them holding his candle high in front of himself.

Tatsumi squeezed Watari's hand and gestured to an alcove in the wall with bars over the opening, forming a cell.

Watari frowned and squeezed back, pointing out others.

"Tsuzuki!"

Tsuzuki ran forward and knelt in front of one of the cells, and grabbed a hand that reached out to him from between the bars. He placed a gentle kiss against the palm before pressing it to his cheek, his own hand over the smaller one, holding it there.

Watari pulled Tatsumi closer so that they could also see into the cell.

Tatsumi heard Watari's indrawn breath, and suppressed a similar reaction. In the cell was a young blonde man, barely more than a child, dirty and rumpled, with wide green eyes set in delicate features, almost too pretty to be masculine. Fortunately, the couple were too focused on each other to notice either him or Watari.

"Tsuzuki, I'm sorry."

Tsuzuki chuckled softly and reached his free hand through the bars to brush back the blonde hair. "You say that every day Hisoka."

Hisoka gave a small, rueful smile. "I mean it every day."

Tsuzuki gave a little sigh. "Then you are forgiven, again." He settled Hisoka's hand in his, twining their fingers together. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Hisoka leaned back against the wall. "He was really mad this time, wasn't he?"

Tsuzuki nodded. "You did try to set fire to the castle, and you totally destroyed that spool of golden thread in his collection…"

"Good," Hisoka grinned. "I should try that one again; starting with his bed this time. Preferably with him in it!"

"I'll talk to him Hisoka, see if I can get him to let you out…"

"No!" Hisoka burst out in a near shout, sitting up abruptly. "No," he tried again in a quieter tone, "if you ask him for anything, he'll make you pay for it, and I don't want that to happen ever again! Leave me here!"

"Hisoka…"

Hisoka pulled his hand and Tsuzuki's back into the cell, pulling him close to the bars so they were sitting side by side. "It's better when I'm in here. I'm safe enough, Saya and Yuma won't let me starve, and they can't do anything else to me either."

"They're not that bad," Tsuzuki protested.

"Let them stick you in a ball gown and see if you still say that! Besides, when I'm in here, I can't hurt you as much."

"Hisoka, I know you don't…"

"I know I don't too, but everyday there's that moment when suddenly I remember everything, who I am and who you are, and I can see what I've said or done that day that hurts you; every single day!"

Tsuzuki began shaking his head, anticipating what was coming next.

"You should go. Just walk out the door and be free of Muraki. I'll be okay, most of the time I won't even know you're gone."

"But I will," Tsuzuki countered. "I'll know, and I can't leave you here to Muraki's games. I can't leave and give up any chance we may have of escaping together. I won't loose you!" Pulling the youth as close as he could with the bars in the way, he pressed their foreheads together. "I won't go without you!" he whispered fiercely.

Suddenly Hisoka pulled back, his green eyes wide. "Tsuzuki, I love you!" he said urgently. "Stay away form Muraki, stay safe and remember that I love you."

"Hisoka, I…"

But it was too late. Hisoka began blink rapidly, looking confused, and then his gaze locked on Tsuzuki.

"Arghhh!" The youth jumped back, away from the cell bars. "What are you doing?"

Tsuzuki tried again, even though he knew it was pointless. "Hisoka, I…"

"Go away."

"Hisoka?"

"If you're not here to let me out, go away."

Tsuzuki gained his feet gazing sadly into the cell. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The boy snorted, but didn't comment.

Tsuzuki turned away and caught sight of Tatsumi and Watari standing not too far behind him.

Tatsumi felt himself reddening at having been caught spying, but Watari merely grinned and waved cheerfully. Bouncing forward, Watari linked his arm through Tsuzuki's and started dragging him towards the stairs. Tatsumi heard 'He's cute!' as they passed him.

Shaking his head at the antics of the blonde man, Tatsumi approached cell. The youth inside was sitting in the back corner, his arms resting on his knees, regarding him intensely.

"Who are you?"

"Seiichiro Tatsumi, and you?"

"Hisoka Kurosaki. I haven't seen you before."

Tatsumi shook his head. "No, I was sent by a nearby village to find and slay a demon."

Hisoka smirked slightly. "No demons here, but if you'd like to slay a demented fairy half-breed I can point you in the right direction."

"I imagine you can, your friend told us about Muraki."

"Friend?"

"Asato Tsuzuki." Tatsumi pointed at Tsuzuki's retreating figure.

"Who?"

"The man with the purple eyes."

"Oh, him," Hisoka said in a vague way.

"You don't like him?" Tatsumi asked raising a brow.

"I don't really know him."

Both Tatsumi's brows rose almost to his hairline, Hisoka had seemed to know Tsuzuki very well only a few minutes ago.

"I try to stay away from him as much as possible," Hisoka continued.

"Why is that?"

"It hurts to be around him. He's sad and lonely and miserable and hopeful and longing and angry and afraid all at once; and it's too much to take in."

"How do you know he's all those things?" Tatsumi asked.

"I can feel them whenever I get near him. I'm an empath."

Tatsumi's brows did another skyrocket, he had met some strange people over the years, but he's never met an empath before. Although upon consideration, Watari was still holding the title of 'strangest person ever'.

"Can you get me out of here?" Hisoka interrupted his thoughts.

Tatsumi moved forward and studied the bars. He probably could open them without too much difficulty, but he remembered what Hisoka had said to Tsuzuki earlier. "I don't think I can," he told the youth, feeling like an ogre as he watched the green eyes dim and lower. "I am sorry," he said backing away.

Hisoka moved to the bars and gripped them tightly. "Will you come back?" he asked, unable to keep the pleading note out of his voice.

Tatsumi considered a moment, and then nodded. "Yes, I will come back. I won't leave this place without seeing you again."

"Tatsumi! Are you coming?" Watari's voice echoed down from the top of the stairway.

Tatsumi reached out and gripped the boy's hand over the bar of the cell. "I'll come back as soon as I'm able."

"Thank you," Hisoka whispered.

**XXX**

"He's cute!" Watari gave Tsuzuki a nudge as he dragged him to the stairs. "Where'd you meet him?"

Tsuzuki looked back towards the dungeons where they'd left the youth in his cell. "I met him when he was brought before the witches tribunal."

Watari drew back. "Don't tell me you were a part of that travesty!"

"No," Tsuzuki shook his head emphatically. "I had already been tried and was being held for execution when Hisoka was brought in."

"You were tried?" Watari's eyes skimmed up and down Tsuzuki's figure as if looking for mutilations or crippling injuries. "Most people don't survive the trials."

Tsuzuki shrugged. "Well, I did; was found guilty, and they stuck me in a little cage until they could find an executioner.

Watari looked surprised. "Why didn't they just kill you?"

"I think they were scared of me."

"Why?"

Tsuzuki shook his head again. "They murdered my sister, and I… I lost control. I, no, I'm not going to go into that. I was guilty of everything they charged me with…"

"That would be a first," Watari muttered.

"And I probably would have let them execute me if Hisoka hadn't come along."

"Was he tried?"

"God no!" Tsuzuki slumped, just a little. "I couldn't let them do that to him! It was just seeing him there like that; his father pushed him before the tribunal and said 'Try him and kill him'; and Hisoka stood there. He didn't fight it, or try to run, he stood straight in front of all of them, and he just looked so relieved…"

Watari looked appalled. "You said his father turned him over to those butchers?"

"Um hum," Tsuzuki confirmed, nodding. "He was handed over by his own family."

Watari shook his head. "Poor kid." Then he turned back to Tsuzuki. "So, when will he remember again?"

"Midnight tomorrow," Tsuzuki answered, then did a double take. "How did you know about that?"

"I listened," Watari told him. "So I take it he's the reason you can't use the key in that box."

Tsuzuki nodded. "I could actually leave, there's nothing to stop me; except Hisoka."

"How does Muraki keep him in the castle? I take it he's not always in the dungeon."

"No," Tsuzuki smiled a little. "Only when he annoys Muraki; which he does fairly regularly, and I'm pretty sure, usually on purpose."

Watari chuckled.

"He can't find a way out. He's always looking, but even if he stands directly in front of the door, he can't see it, or pass through it."

Watari placed his hand on Tsuzuki's shoulder as they reached the top of the stairs. "Maybe we can help the two of you."

"No," Tsuzuki said, shaking his head. "You and Tatsumi need to leave as soon as possible. I'll show you to a room where the two of you can get some sleep, and I'll help you slip out first thing in the morning."

"No continental breakfast?" Watari asked jokingly.

Tsuzuki gave him a mildly dirty look. "Is breakfast worth more than your lives?"

Watari sobered slightly. "No, I suppose not." He turned back towards the stair. "Tatsumi! Are you coming?"

There was a long moment of silence before they heard Tatsumi's footsteps on the stairs. A minute later he emerged from the darkness scowling at Watari. "There was no need to shout," he said disapprovingly.

"You were dawdling," Watari said with a cheeky grin.

Tsuzuki shook his head at their antics. "C'mon," he said, gesturing for them to follow. "This way."

They followed Tsuzuki back to the main entryway, up the curving staircase, into a different wing, and down a long hallway until they came to a sudden stop at an open door. Tatsumi and Watari watched as Tsuzuki tensed, and hesitantly edged forward to peek into the room. His shoulders relaxed and he let out a breath.

"Saya," he exclaimed, beckoning Watari and Tatsumi into the room.

The maid was in the process of laying out a tea service, and plates of sandwiches and pastries. "Hey Tsuzuki, I figured you'd bring them up here, so I brought up the food and drinks you asked for."

"Thanks Saya," Tsuzuki smiled softly.

"And Yuma's gonna sneak down a tray to the sweetie pie."

Tsuzuki nodded, his smile becoming more genuine. "Thank you."

Watari made a bee line for the food and tea, while Tatsumi looked around the room.

A large four poster bed dominated one side of the room; with a deep burgundy spread and hangings with dark green accents. The rest of the room, including the small sitting area where they were sharing their light repast was done in similar colours.

Tsuzuki was finally beginning to look relaxed, and Saya had accepted a cup of tea that Watari had pressed upon her, when Tatsumi suddenly held up a hand for quiet.

"What's that sound?"

Everyone paused, straining to hear; a very quiet, almost unnoticeable humming.

Tsuzuki went rigid, all the colour draining from his face, and Saya dropped her teacup. It made no sound to interrupt the light tune, landing on the thick carpet. And then, the humming stopped.

"Wha…" Watari began, but Saya hissed softly and slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Saya… Sweetheart…" an enticing voice, smooth as silk called out, barely audible.

Saya dropped her hand from Watari's mouth and started trembling. She turned wide frightened eyes to Tsuzuki.

"Tsuzuki, my dearest, you should come too…"

Tsuzuki's face was as pale as a sheet, but his expression was impassive. He slowly got to his feet, careful not to meet Saya's frightened eyes, and left the room.

Saya covered her mouth with her hand, like she wanted to hold in a scream, or cry, or be sick, but she hurried out of the room after Tsuzuki.

Watari looked pointedly at Tatsumi, then rushed out after them.

Tatsumi cursed under his breath and sped after Watari. Catching up to his quarry near the end of the hall, he caught the blonde man around the waist, halting his forward momentum with enough force to lift his feet off the floor.

Watari spun around in indignation, his mouth opening to give Tatsumi a piece of his mind, but Tatsumi held his finger to his lips for silence and pointed to a dark pool of shadows at the end of the second floor railing where they could duck down and see between the oak spindles of the curving staircase without being seen themselves. Watari followed Tatsumi into the shadows which seemed to thicken around them, and looked out and down. They could see the entire staircase and most of the main hall, and a bit of the hallway beyond it.

And there, standing at the foot of the stairs was a man they knew had to be Muraki.


	5. Chapter 5

Watari stared at the man at the base of the stairs. He had not been prepared for his first glimpse of this half-fairy crossbreed. In fact; if he had been standing up, he was sure he would've been knocked off his feet. The man was, to put it mildly, ethereally beautiful.

Silver white hair fell over skin as pale as milk, even features; he stood tall and lean with silver wings, translucent and shimmery as a dragonfly's, they drew in a graceful arch from his shoulder blades cresting just above his shoulders and falling down his back like an iridescent cloak, ending just below his hips. Watari would have been happy to continue staring for a while, but then Muraki looked up, and Watari could see his silver blue eyes.

They were ice.

They were artic.

They were nitrogen.

"Ah, there you are my own," Muraki said, smiling up the stairs while his eyes remained frozen.

Tatsumi nudged Watari and gestured minutely. Watari looked and saw Tsuzuki making his way down the stairs, Saya close behind him.

"I have a small problem that I thought that you may be able to help me with," Muraki addressed them sounding amused. He turned and walked a few steps away from the stair. "Come here!" he commanded in a voice laced with venom.

Another young girl stepped into sight, cringing as she moved reluctantly closer to Muraki. Muraki reached out and grabbed her arm, dragging her in front of him facing the two on the stairs. "I caught her taking food to the boy. Would either of you know anything about this?"

"Yuma," Saya whimpered softly, her hands clutched in the back of Tsuzuki's shirt.

"I asked her to," Tsuzuki said calmly, his voice inflectionless.

Muraki left his gaze drift over Tsuzuki with amusement. "Of course you did." He wrapped his arms around Yuma's waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. "And of course my silly little servants would do anything you asked them to. Silly girls."

Yuma and Saya both whimpered.

"Silly, silly girls," and with that, Muraki turned his head slightly and bit into Yuma's earlobe. She gasped in pain, but fear rendered her immobile. Muraki licked the blood from her damaged ear off his lips. " Next time," he said softly, bringing one hand to her shoulder and running his fingers up her neck forcing her to tilt her head and expose her throat. "It will be your jugular!" he growled and pushed her away from him. She stumbled and went sprawling to the floor.

Saya gave a soft cry and darted around Tsuzuki to rush down to Yuma and help her to her feet. Throwing frightened glances back at Muraki, Saya led Yuma from the hall.

Muraki watched until they were out of sight, then turned his attention back to Tsuzuki. "I don't know why you'd lie for them."

Tsuzuki said nothing.

"You would never asked any of them to take food to him, nor would you have needed to, they do it without being asked," Muraki sighed deeply, sounding resigned. "It seems I can no longer put the boy down there as punishment."

For a moment Tsuzuki's mask of stoicism cracked and Tatsumi and Watari could both see the panic underneath.

So could Muraki; he smiled maliciously as Tsuzuki struggled to school his expression.

Once again under control, Tsuzuki was able to stare at Muraki dispassionately. "Where will you put him?"

Muraki raised a brow. "I'm sure I'll think of someplace suitable. It is a big castle after all. Perhaps I'll even give him an opportunity to earn his way back into my good graces."

"No." Although his face remained blank, something flickered behind Tsuzuki's eyes.

"No?" Muraki repeated, sounding amused. "I'm afraid my dear Tsuzuki, you have no say in the matter; unless you have something better in mind."

"Such as?"

"Oh, I don't know… Perhaps if you give him a proper thrashing, I'll let him off the hook this time."

Tsuzuki flinched, and Muraki waited several long moments in silence while Tsuzuki stood with his hands clenched into fists at his side. He finally lowered his head, conceding defeat to the pale man.

"I thought not," Muraki commented as he turned away, leaving Tsuzuki glaring at the floor.

As soon as Muraki had disappeared from sight, Tatsumi and Watari cautiously emerged from their hiding place. Silently they moved down the stairs to Tsuzuki's side.

"So, that is Muraki," Tatsumi said quietly, more confirming a statement than asking a question.

Tsuzuki nodded, then looked at Watari, who had just placed a hand on his arm.

"What's a 'proper thrashing'?" the blonde asked in a suspicious tone of voice.

"A proper thrashing, by Muraki's definition, involves bloodshed and broken bones."

Watari once again looked appalled, but Tatsumi's face had gone cold.

"Let's go back to the room. I think we should make some plans."

**XXX**

Back in their room, Tatsumi sank down into a chair by the table where their light repast still waited, now rather cold. He crossed his legs, tented his fingers under his chin and regarded Tsuzuki solemnly. "So, it is a spell on the boy that keeps two of you here."

Tsuzuki nodded, slumping down in a seat opposite Tatsumi's, while Watari moved to lean against the table.

"Then it seem to me," Tatsumi continued, "that we must find a way to break the spell on him and neutralize Muraki."

"I'd like to drop the whole freaking castle on him," Watari muttered under his breath.

"Seeing as that is not a feasible option…"

"Where's my pack?" Watari interrupted , looking around.

"Worry about that later Watari," Tatsumi told him, annoyed. Turning back to Tsuzuki he asked, "how exactly does the spell keep you here?"

"No!" Watari interrupted again. "I need my pack!"

"Maybe you left it in the other room," Tsuzuki suggested before answering Tatsumi's question. "The spell keeps Hisoka from finding a way out of the castle. He can't see any of the doors or windows that lead outside."

"He can't find a way out? That's all?"

"Yes," Tsuzuki confirmed.

"I can find a way out," Tatsumi stated. "What if I just picked him up and took him with me?"

Tsuzuki opened his mouth to deny the possibility, then left it hanging open as he considered. Finally his mouth closed and he looked at Tatsumi with wide eyes. "I have no idea. It's never been tried! I don't see why it wouldn't work!" Tsuzuki was beginning to sound excited.

"And where are you going?' Tatsumi asked, turning to Watari who was just about to slip out the door.

"I'm going to get my pack!" Watari told him, sounding irritated; but he closed the door again, with himself still inside the room.

"And just what is so important about your pack?"

"Remember I told you that I studied with alchemists in Paris?"

Tatsumi nodded.

"Well, they taught me how to make black powder, and I have a supply of it in my pack!"

Tatsumi stared at him as if he had grown a second head. "You carry black powder around in your pack?" he asked carefully.

"Sure!" said Watari, as if everyone did. "You never know when you might wanna make something go 'boom'."

"Make something go boom…" Tatsumi echoed faintly, now staring at Watari as if he had two heads; with horns. "Is there anything else in that pack of yours that I really don't want to know about?"

Watari rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "Well, I've got mamma's spell book, the spindle of a spinning wheel…"

"Why would you have the spindle of a spinning wheel? No, wait, I think I heard something about that… Wasn't there a princess who was cursed to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die?"

"What? No! Geez! Turn one fresh prince into a frog and you're labelled evil for the rest of your life! No, mamma wasn't trying to kill the princess, the spell was supposed to put her to sleep for 100 years."

"And that's better?" Tatsumi asked sceptically.

"It was to save her life."

"How would it save her life?" Tsuzuki asked quietly.

"Well, you'd have to know the whole story." Watari straightened, as if about to deliver a lecture "about 200 years ago, that particular kingdom had a very beautiful, very vain queen. And as she grew older, she became desperate to hold onto her beauty and power. Finally she went to see a nasty old witch, a really foul example of the kind, and she gained a spell that would allow her to move her soul into the body of someone who shared her blood.

"This queen had a daughter; who had inherited her mother's beauty, and was poised to marry a suitably handsome prince and become the next queen. So the vain queen used the spell to possess her own daughter, and many years later, her granddaughter, and so on.

"But witches talk, you see, and momma heard about this just as the newest princess was born. So she arranged to go to the christening where she placed the spell on the spindle and declared the girl's fate. Momma decided that the princess would have to sleep for at least a hundred years to be sure that when she awoke, there would be no chance that her however many times great-grandmother would still be around to possess her; and she could live her own life. After all, who would want to possess a comatose body?"

"Did it work?" Tsuzuki asked, engrossed in the story.

Watari shrugged. "Don't know. The girl's still asleep, and the queen's still walking around, so it seems to be working so far."

"Why didn't the queen just possess the princess before she pricked her finger then?" Tatsumi asked.

Watari smiled. "Children have some natural protection against evil magic. It has something to do with innocence. The queen couldn't possess her before her 16th birthday."

"Too bad that didn't help Hisoka," Tsuzuki said quietly, with a good deal of bitterness.

Watari placed a hand on Tsuzuki's shoulder. "The more evil the magic, the more harm it can do, and even children are not wholly immune. And it's no protection at all from the evil that people can do without magic." He regarded Tsuzuki steadily. "Has Muraki ever harmed Hisoka with magic?"

Tsuzuki considered, "well, he did put that spell on him…"

Watari shook his head. "That spell doesn't physically harm him, and if the kid is remembering you everyday, even for a little while, it sound like the spell is incomplete. Muraki couldn't make him forget completely, could he?"

"No," Tsuzuki breathed, "and he tried."

"Natural protection," Watari confirmed. "It's a good thing the kid wasn't a few years older, he might have actually forgotten entirely!"

Tsuzuki shuddered at the thought.

"But it didn't happen," Watari said reassuringly, "and now we have a chance to help you guys, and we can bring this castle down right on top of Muraki!"

"You said you'd like to drop the whole castle on him…" Tatsumi said, a small smile turning up his lips.

"And it's a totally feasible option!" Watari announce gleefully.

Tatsumi looked mildly amused at the way the blonde man threw his words back at him. "Go get your pack," he said gesturing towards the door.

"I'd better go with you," Tsuzuki said, getting up and going to Watari. "This is a big castle and it wouldn't help anything if you ran into Muraki."

Watari nodded and looked back at Tatsumi. "We'll be back as quick as we can, you wait here."

Tatsumi pointedly ignored him, sipping his tea.

Watari grinned and slipped out the door, Tsuzuki right behind him.

Tatsumi leaned back in his chair enjoying a few long minutes of silence. Finally relinquishing his teacup and preparing to get up, he heard the quiet padding of approaching footsteps.

Rising quickly, Tatsumi made his way into a corner of the room, and the shadows shifted to conceal his hiding place.

The footsteps stopped outside the door, and Tatsumi watched as the knob turned and the door opened a few inches. Then a familiar voice called out softly. "Tsuzuki?"

Saya stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind her as she looked around. The shadows in the room moved and she gasped in surprise as she caught sight of Tatsumi watching her from the corner.

"Can I help you?" he asked, stepping forward, his voice soothing.

"Do you know where Tsuzuki is? I need to tell him…" she trailed off looking around for the violet-eyed man.

"Tell him what?" Tatsumi encouraged.

"Muraki took Hisoka out of the dungeons! I saw him moving him!"

""Where?' Tatsumi asked, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I don't know," Saya said, wringing her hands together. "They were heading upstairs, but I don't know where exactly. I have to tell Tsuzuki!" She looked around again as if expecting him to appear out of thin air.

Tatsumi patted her shoulder gently. "Tsuzuki should be back shortly, if you would like, I will give him your message:

"You will?" Saya looked up at him with wide trusting eyes.

Tatsumi nodded.

Saya threw her arms around his middle and buried her head against his chest. "Thank you!" she sobbed. "I didn't want to leave Yuma alone! Tell Tsuzuki that Yuma's sorry, we both are!"

Tatsumi caught Saya's shoulders and pushed her back so that he could look into her face. "Sorry? Sorry for what?"

"For getting caught, and causing more problems for him and Hisoka." The girl gave a small watery smile. "Thank you for trying to help us."

Quick as a flash she was out the door, leaving Tatsumi staring dumbfounded after her.

**XXX**

Watari frowned as he looked around. He was truly beginning to hate this castle, if not for the structure itself, then at least for the 'treasures' it held. Immediately after leaving Tatsumi in the small bedroom suite, Tsuzuki had led him away from the main staircase and down to the very end of the wing, where there was a narrow hidden stairway behind a fake wood panel.

"Servants passage," Tsuzuki had explained in an offhand way as he led the way back to the first floor, where Watari once again found himself surrounded by more items of Muraki's collection.

He gestured to a long stick displayed on a long table. "What's that one?"

Tsuzuki spared it a glance. "It's a pike, it belonged to Mircea's younger brother."

"Tsuzuki? Why is there a cookie on this one?" Watari asked, pointing to a square of gingerbread on another table.

"It's the shingle of a roof," Tsuzuki informed him.

"But it's a cookie!" Watari insisted.

"Don't ask." Tsuzuki said, giving him a 'you don't want to know' look.

Watari fought back his curiosity. Tsuzuki was right, he probably didn't want to know.

They were rounding a corner into the hallway that Tsuzuki had brought them to when they first arrived when Tsuzuki balked, pushed him back, and pressed against him, both of them concealed in a small alcove, half covered by a tapestry. Before Watari could ask what the heck was going on, he heard soft, smooth laughter from up ahead.

"Oh, Tsuzuki…" Muraki's silver voice flowed back down the hall. "It seems there is more happening tonight than you wanted me to know about."

Watari inched around Tsuzuki to peek out into the hallway. He could see Muraki walking away towards main entrance, his wings a pale shimmering fall down his back. Watari opened his mouth to gasp, only to have it blocked by Tsuzuki's hand.

Dangling from Muraki's arm was his pack.

Watari pushed Tsuzuki's hand away and leaned in close to Tsuzuki's ear. "Go back to Tatsumi, the two of you go and get the kid. I'm gonna follow him and the second I can get my hands on my pack, I'm gonna set off the powder."

"No!" Tsuzuki whispered.

"Yes!" Watari hissed back, his voice hard and determined, and before Tsuzuki could protest further, Watari had slipped out into the hallway after Muraki.


	6. Chapter 6

Tatsumi paced the length of the room waiting for his companions to reappear. He was sure they were taking too long, and he was becoming uneasy.

So he nearly wilted with relief when the door cracked open and Tsuzuki slipped inside, only to have his unease crank back up again when he realized the violet eyed man was alone.

"Where's Watari?"

Tsuzuki slumped. "Muraki found Watari's pack, he knows there are intruders in the castle. Watari followed Muraki to get his pack back. He said that he's going to set off the powder as soon as he gets it, so we have to go now!"

"We can't," Tatsumi stated, trying to absorb the situation and it's ramifications. "Muraki moved Hisoka, Saya came looking for you to tell you, but she doesn't know where he was taken. We'll need time to look for him."

"But there is no time!" Tsuzuki said, his eyes wide, "Not unless we stop Watari!"

"Where might they have gone?" Tatsumi asked, reaching out to grip Tsuzuki's shoulder. He could feel Tsuzuki trembling beneath his hand.

"Muraki would probably take the pack back to his rooms, and if Watari follows him there…"

"Let's go." Tatsumi gave Tsuzuki a push out the door and followed him into the hallway.

**XXX**

Watari slid soundlessly down the hallway after Muraki, hanging back as far as he could without loosing track of the winged man. Muraki seemed to be taking an aimless wander around the castle, looking into various rooms as he went. 'Probably looking for me', Watari thought, frowning and making a mental note to keep his guard up. Finally Muraki stepped into a room entirely, and after several moments, re-emerged without his pack.

Watari held his breath and watched from behind a suit of armour as Muraki looked around, and then turned and started down the hall, moving away from the room and Watari. At the end of the hall he turned a corner, and disappeared.

Watari let out his breath slowly, and began counting in his head. When he had reached 200 and Muraki had not returned, he felt it safe to leave his hiding spot and go after his bag.

Slipping into the room and closing the door softly behind him, Watari had to exert all his discipline not to gasp out loud. He had been in rooms like this before in Paris, a laboratory, like his alchemist friends used, or the professor at L'University du Paris who had been so fascinated with chemistry.

There were beakers and tube filled with strange liquids, braziers, even a distilling apparatus. Watari wondered through the lab, sniffing at the content of one beaker, studying a crystal substance he didn't recognize, checking out delicate glass measuring vials, 'til finally he caught his foot on something and nearly went sprawling. He looked down and saw that his foot was hooked in the strap of his own pack; which he had completely forgotten about.

Swearing softly, Watari disentangled his foot and picked up his pack. Placing it on the nearest clear surface, he pulled it open and rifled through the contents. He pulled out four fist-sized cloth wrapped balls, then after a moments hesitation, he pulled out a delicate silver spindle.

**XXX**

Tatsumi came to a halt as Tsuzuki held his hand up.

"This is the hallway to Muraki's private rooms. I'll go first and see if I can draw him out. Wait until you see us leave, and then you can go look for Watari. Go as fast as you can, I don't know how long I'll be able to keep him distracted."

Tatsumi nodded curtly and slipped back into the shadows as Tsuzuki moved into the hall. He waited a long while before Tsuzuki reappeared with Muraki; Tsuzuki looked angry, Muraki amused.

As soon as they were out of sight, Tatsumi moved into the hallway. At each door he stepped in, looking for any sigh of Watari.

A sitting room, what could only be called a trophy room which left Tatsumi feeling nauseous, a bathroom with a large tub, a bedroom with Hisoka hanging on the wall…

Tatsumi did a double take as he registered what he was seeing. There was a large bed that was covered with black silky sheets, a fur was thrown across the floor, a fire crackled in a stone hearth, and against the far wall stood Hisoka. The young mans arms were spread eagle and his toes just touched the floor. His head hung down, hair obscuring his face, but he flinched at the sound of the door closing.

"Kurosaki?"

Hisoka's head jerked up at the sound of Tatsumi's voice, his eyes wide. "You came!"

Tatsumi made his way over to the youth as quickly as he was able. Getting closer he could see that there was a spike embedded through each of the boy's hands, going deep into the wall holding him in place. Tatsumi scowled as he studied the injuries.

"This may hurt," he warned as me manipulated the shadows behind Hisoka's hands into the holes the spikes had made into the wall, and forced them out as smoothly as possible. Hisoka's face tightened, but he made no sound of protest.

Hisoka slumped forward as his hands were freed. Tatsumi caught and steadied him, and picking up the boy's hands, studied the metal nails embedded through his palms. He wanted to pull them out, but knew that the metal was the only thing stanching the flow of blood. "We need to get you taken care of," he said.

"Kitchens," Hisoka gasped. "There's water and soap, and whatever herbs the girls can scrounge out of the gardens in the kitchens."

Tatsumi nodded and wrapped an arm around Hisoka's waist to help support him as they made their way out of the room.

Watari had slipped completely from his mind…

**XXX**

Watari weighed the cloth wrapped ball of black powder in his hand, considering. Everything in this room looked flammable, and it took very little flame to set off his power; after all, he had tweaked the recipe just a bit, and it would make a pretty big boom. Nodding to himself in satisfaction, Watari slipped out of Muraki's lab room, and made his way stealthily back to the dungeons where he and Tatsumi had followed Tsuzuki earlier. He noted that Hisoka was no longer in residence, with any luck Tatsumi and Tsuzuki had already made it out of the castle with the kid. He ducked into the cell and hid one bundle of powder in a dark corner, and then made way out and to the other end of the long corridor to place the second bag, as far from the first as he could manage.

Two blasts ion the sub-levels to knock out the foundation, on central blast on the main floor, and one blast in that lab room on the second floor to trigger the lot. Considering the contents of the lab, he just might take the roof off the whole bloody castle!

Grinning manically to himself at the upcoming pandemonium, Watari headed up the stairs to place the two remaining bundles.

**XXX**

Tatsumi frowned as he watched Hisoka slump over the table, his head lolling on his outstretched arms.

To his consternation, Saya had been in the kitchen when they arrived, brewing a tea for Yuma. Upon seeing the state of Hisoka's hands, Saya had immediately forced half a gallon of the stuff down his throat saying that it would help with the pain.

'Well, it did that!' Tatsumi thought to himself, but it had also left Hisoka groggy and unresponsive; and they had wasted too long in the kitchen. So focused on Hisoka that he had barely noticed the passing time; waiting for the tea to work, waiting for Saya to make a poultice for the wounds, and removing the spikes from the boy's hands.

To Hisoka's credit, he hadn't cried out, merely gritting his teeth and burying his head in his arms as the task was accomplished; it must have hurt horribly, despite the drugging effect of the tea.

Now Hisoka seemed to be out of pain, if not exactly coherent, but Tatsumi didn't need him conscious to get him out of the castle. Moving to Hisoka's side, Tatsumi knelt and slid his arms under the boy to pick him up when we was halted by Saya.

"Wait!" she cried. "He can't leave yet! He needs something to eat! It's almost dinner time, and I know he had nothing yesterday 'cause Yuma got caught! You must be starving as well!"

He was, but Tatsumi dismissed it as no consequence. "There's no time, we can eat later. We have to leave the castle now, and so do you! You should collect your friend and get out here as quickly as you can."

Saya stood staring at him, and something in his serious expression seemed to impress the truth of his statement and the need of urgency upon her. Whirling to the counter she grabbed a loaf of bread, and a small round of cheese, and wrapped them up together in a clean cloth. "Take this," she said, handing it to Tatsumi. "Go now, take care of 'Soka-chan, and don't worry about us, we'll get out okay."

Tatsumi nodded and bent again to pick Hisoka up. With the boy firmly in his arm, he headed out of the kitchens towards the main doors of the castle…


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N - Warning for Watari torture ahead… **

"Stop!"

Tatsumi stopped feeling Hisoka's breath warm against his neck, hearing the softly mumbled word so close to his ear. "Hisoka?"

"Stop!" Hisoka muttered again, and began to struggle feebly in Tatsumi's arms.

Tatsumi immediately put him down, keeping an arm at his waist to steady hi. "We'll be out in just a minute, the door is right there; can you see it?"

"No." Hisoka shook his head, threatening his balance. "But I can feel your intent to go, and I can't… can't…"

"Yes you can, I can bring you out with me…"

"No!" Hisoka pulled back from Tatsumi, wobbled, but stayed upright. "I can't go! Something's missing! Muraki stole something from me, and I can't leave without it! I won't be whole! I need… I need… "

"Tsuzuki!" Tatsumi exclaimed, amazed that the violet eyed man had slipped his mind for so long.

"Who?"

"Damnit!" Tatsumi scowled at his own forgetfulness. Tsuzuki had lured Muraki off and had not returned, and that had been in the early morning. Now the sun was setting and he had yet to reappear; but he had to be somewhere in the castle, he would never have left without Hisoka.

Watari was still missing too, and the castle was still standing. Although he wasn't too upset about that last point, Watari should have gotten to his pack by now, which meant that something had gone wrong.

Eyeing Hisoka, Tatsumi decided he didn't want to loose track of him again, so they would have to go together, but he didn't want to wait for the drugging tea to clear from the boys system, it would take too long. Ignoring the vehement protests, he hoisted Hisoka back into his arms and headed deeper into the castle. "When you think you can go more than five steps without falling over, I'll put you down."

**XXX**

Something was wrong.

Watari knew something was wrong without even opening his eyes.

First of all, he was sitting, so he was sure he hadn't gone to bed, but he couldn't remember falling asleep in a chair either.

Secondly, his head hurt. Not a hangover kind of hurt, like after his mother died and he spent three days rip-roaring drunk; that involved more throwing up, and less head-splitting throbbing like he was feeling now.

Thirdly, he couldn't move his arms or legs, which he was sure was a really, really bad sign.

He remembered placing his balls of black powder in strategic places through the castle; making his way stealthily back to the lab room, and placing the last ball behind a row of beakers he was sure were full of flammable liquid. Then he had begun to search for anything that would serve as a suitable fuse, he wanted a chance to run for it too, of course.

Eventually he had decided to use one of the liquids as a trigger. He found a jar of what smelled like formaldehyde a good ten feet away from where he had placed his black powder. He knocked it over, spilling contents across the counter and floor, all he would have to do would be to light it, and then he would have a few minutes to fun for his bloody life before the 'boom'.

Well, the idea had been good, until the splitting pain in his head, and now, this.

Taking a deep breath, Watari opened his eyes and blinked several times trying to bring his surroundings into focus. He was still in the lab room, his pack was still on the table; beside Muraki, who was leaning against the table and watching him.

Watari watched him right back, and decided that if it were not for the slightly malicious smile that graced Muraki's lips, and the very long, very slender, very sharp looking knife that the pale man was currently fondling, he might have been content to stay there all day.

Muraki ended the silent stare-of by turning away briskly. He picked something off the table and brought it over to Watari, placing it beside him. It was a glass of water, beads of condensations sliding down the clear glass. Muraki used the blade of the long knife to slice through the bindings holding Watari's left arm to the chair and retreated.

"I don't know who you are, or how you come here, and I don't particularly care. What I do know is that you are in a position to do me a great favour." Muraki leaned forward slightly, as if about to confide a secret. "I have an acquaintance who occasionally procures interesting or unusual things for me. Recently he brought me a small cask of water that he said was infected by the eggs of a parasite. I was informed that if the eggs are ingested by a human, they will hatch, and the parasites will borrow through the hosts body until they reach the brain, where they will gorge themselves. The whole process taking 6-8 hours."

Watari stared at the glass of water with horror and disgust. Muraki seemed amused by his expression and continued.

"First the optical nerves fail, then goes long-term memory. The brains synopsis begin to misfire, and by the time death occurs, the host is little more than a vegetable. I have tested the water, of course, and confirmed the presence of foreign material, but I have not yet had an opportunity to test it. Now I seem to have a perfect subject." Muraki stared at Watari intently and spoke softly, his voice silver, "Drink."

Watari stared at Muraki in open defiance. "Not a chance," he hissed; and was startled to see the glass come into view. He looked down, surprised to see the glass clutched in his own hand, rising to his mouth.

With a gasp Watari slammed the glass down and let it go, wiping his hand against his pants as if fearing contamination.

"I said drink," Muraki commanded.

Watari gripped the arms of the chair, eyes narrowed and lips thinned as he fought the compulsion to obey the fairy voice.

Muraki chuckled softly. "I see you're stronger than that." He looked pleased. "I'm glad. It means you and I will have much more fun together."

**XXX**

Tatsumi supported Hisoka as they made their way down the hallway. The boy was back on his feet; groggy and a little disorientated, but moving reasonably well. Speed wasn't necessary anyways, the need for caution slowed them considerably.

It was frustrating, Tatsumi mused to himself, the need to hurry conflicting with the need to remain undiscovered by Muraki.

Also knowing that without Muraki's spell, Hisoka probably could have located Tsuzuki within minutes. As it was, Hisoka seemed to know who the man was, in a vague way, but seemed to forget him only moments after he was mentioned. He had to constantly reminded what, or rather, who they were looking for.

It didn't help that the castle suddenly seemed to have an infinite number of rooms, any door behind which they may find Tsuzuki… or Muraki waiting for them.

Of course they had checked the dungeons first; or rather, Hisoka had waited at the top of the stairs while Tatsumi conducted a quick search of the lowest level. It was the longest he had allowed them to be separated, he did not want to loose track of the boy again.

It had taken hours to go through the rooms on the ground floor, finding no one. And Tatsumi felt himself reassured by the steadily falling darkness; more shadows to conceal them.

Their search moved to the second floor of the castle, proving equally futile. Walking down a hallway that looked like dozens before it, and dozens more to come.

And, just in case all that was not enough, there was the chance that the whole castle could be falling down around their ears at any moment…

**XXX**

"Are you thirsty yet?"

Watari shook his head vehemently, panting too hard to speak.

Muraki grinned and backed away a few feet, giving the blonde man time to compose himself.

Watari was grateful for the chance to drag some air into his aching lungs. His throat was raw and he could feel his sweat dampened hair against the back of his neck and his shoulders. Muraki had made him scream, but so far he had not given in; he would not drink that water.

No matter what.

Even if it killed him.

And it eventually would, Watari knew, but it would take an extraordinarily long time to happen. So far Muraki had used the slender knife to pierce his skin; then, rather like a needle, run it under the skin for several inches, and back out. And then, slowly, using the blunt edge of the blade, Muraki would tear the skin open. With a seeming infinite amount of patience, as long as the object of his attention was suffering, the fairy-crossbreed rent the skin inch by slow inch, relishing every gasp, each grimace, and eventually each scream as flesh separated and blood flowed.

Unfortunately, Watari thought, it would take days to bleed to death this way; he was more likely to go insane from this treatment, then Muraki would force that infected water down his throat, and that would kill him.

Watari looked up at the sound of something splashing. He saw Muraki witting the blade with a clear liquid, and as Muraki approached him again, he could detect the odour of ethanol alcohol.

Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, Watari braced himself for the next onslaught. He had to find a way out; there had to be a way out…


	8. Chapter 8

Tatsumi felt Hisoka stop as a distant clock began to chime the midnight hour. The boy gasped, "Tsuzuki!", and then he pulled free of Tatsumi's supporting arm and he was off and running, stumbling in his haste, but keeping his feet and not slowing.

Without question, Tatsumi followed, barely keeping up with the youth, despite his longer legs.

He blamed the horse.

Hisoka led them down a narrow corridor; up a narrow, nearly hidden stairway, to a solitary door.

"It's locked," Hisoka announced, pushing against it.

"Tsuzuki's in there?" Tatsumi asked.

"Yes, but it's locked!"

Gently, Tatsumi pushed Hisoka aside and placed a hand on the door. The shadows shifted, opening the lock, and the door swung open.

The only furniture in the room was a bed. Tsuzuki sat upon it, one knee propped up providing an arm rest, his head resting on his folded arms. His other leg dangled off the bed, the chain attached to it scraping against the floor as he jerked up at their intrusion.

Hisoka wasted no time, flying across the room and throwing himself at the violet-eyed man.

Tsuzuki looked shocked for a moment, but rallied quickly, wrapping his arms around Hisoka and burring his face in the blonde hair.

Tatsumi cleared his throat to gain their attention; he was partially successful.

Tsuzuki looked up. "Did you find Watari?"

Tatsumi shook his head. "No, I found him," he said gesturing to Hisoka.

Tsuzuki looked down at Hisoka, fear dawning on his face as he comprehended the entirety of the situation. "Why are you still here?" he whispered harshly turning back to Tatsumi. "You have to get out of here! Take him and get out!"

Tatsumi opened his mouth to reply, but Hisoka was already shaking his head against Tsuzuki's breastbone.

"I'm not leaving without you."

Tsuzuki took a deep breath. "Hisoka…"

"I lied to you Tsuzuki ."

"What? When?"

Hisoka pulled back so that he could look up at the other man. "When I told you I wouldn't know if you were gone. I'd know. Even when I can't remember what I feel for you and your name disappears from my mind as soon as I hear it, I'd still know. Most of the time I feel as if something is missing from me; something indefinable, but necessary, and I want to get it back more than anything. But if I left you, that part that's missing would be lost, and I'd feel that loss every second." He swiped at the traitorous tears that had begun to trickle down his cheeks. "I'd know."

Tsuzuki pulled Hisoka back against himself, rocking slightly trying to ease the youths distress. "Hisoka…" he began, "I'm stuck here, and…"

"It's a moot point." Tatsumi interrupted as the shadows under the bed flowed out to surround the shackle around Tsuzuki's ankle. There was a crack, and the shadows receded revealing the shackle in pieces on the floor. "We are all leaving."

**XXX**

It was the chiming of the hour that focused Watari's mind and brought him out of a haze of pain.

Chimes…

Midnight…

Witching hour…

Witch…

Mother…

Watari's eyes flickered to his back, a glint of silver beside it; and Watari's eyes widened.

Muraki noticed the change. "What are you looking at?" he questioned, looking over his shoulder.

Watari shook his head. "Give me the water, I'll drink it," he croaked.

Muraki ignored him. Having mistaken the widening of his eyes for fear, he studied the table, and then picked up the delicate silver instrument.

"Not that!" Watari said, his voice rising in forced agitation. "Just give me the damned water!"

Muraki turned back to him, stroking the silver spindle gently. "There is magic in this piece, what is…." The half-fairy cut off as his finger passed over the sharp tip. A single prick, and Muraki fell almost gracefully to the floor.

Watari glared at him. "Have a nice nap, you bastard!"

With his left hand free, it didn't take Watari too long to free himself from the chair. He struggled to his feet. He was bleeding and hurting, but he could still run. Pulling a flint from his pack, he secured the pack over his shoulder and struck the flint. It took three strikes to get a spark, and less than a second after that for the puddle of spilled formaldehyde to catch. Watari turned and ran for all he was worth.

**XXX**

The ten minutes was up.

Tatsumi jogged at a brisk pace back to Muraki's wing of the castle, dragging Hisoka with him. The boy came willingly enough, completely ignoring Tsuzuki who followed quickly behind them. Although the boy had been unable to focus on Tsuzuki, he was able to pinpoint Watari's location easily enough, and was able to tell the man was hurting, but not afraid; focused.

Hisoka abruptly sped up. "Something's changed," he said as he passed Tatsumi.

Suddenly Watari raced past them. He skittered to a stop and looked at the trio. "What are you doing in here? RUN!" Taking his own advice, the blonde took off.

Catching his urgency, Tatsumi grabbed Hisoka, tossed him over his shoulder and ran for all he was worth after Watari, Tsuzuki right on his heels.

Down the main staircase, almost overbalancing, Tsuzuki's hand steadying him from behind. Through the massive doors, out into the wild overgrown garden.

There was a muffled 'whomp' and suddenly he was slammed from behind by a wall of heat. Hisoka flew out of his arms and he barely felt Tsuzuki crash into him as they fell to the ground.

Three more 'whomps' in rapid succession, and something was pulling on him. Blonde hair; Watari pulling on him screaming "Move! Move!" Tsuzuki, his landing cushioned by Tatsumi's own body, already moving, picking up Hisoka who had been knocked out by the fall.

Flickering red-orange heat, falling stone, ringing in his ears, Tatsumi forced himself to MOVE DAMNIT! Running with Watari, catching the blonde when he stumbled, panicking horses, the gate, and out into the dark…

Safe…

**XXX**

"Hey Bon, wake up!" Watari called out as he tapped Hisoka lightly on the cheek, smiling to himself as the boy's face scrunched up.

He had sent Tsuzuki off, under protest, with Tatsumi to find the horses. Tatsumi needed someone with him to bring him back if he collapsed, and Watari thought the task might help keep Tsuzuki's mind off the 'what ifs'. The 'what ifs' were beginning to get to the man; the biggest 'what if' being what if the spell on Hisoka hadn't been broken.

Watari himself had no doubts. He believed in happily ever afters, even if sometimes they needed a little tweaking.

Hisoka blinked and sat up awkwardly, using only his elbows to brace himself. Watari noticed the blood flecked bandages on the boys hands and made a mental note to check on them later.

"We're not in the castle!" Hisoka said, looking around in amazement.

"Nope!" Watari grinned. "The castle's over there." He pointed to a plume of smoke barely visible against the lightening sky.

Hisoka watched the smoke for a long moment before his eyes widened and he turned back to Watari. "Where's Tsuzuki?" he asked, sounding nearly frantic.

Watari's grin widened. That answered all of Tsuzuki's 'what ifs' right there. "Relax Bon, he's fine. The only one in the castle when it went up was Muraki."

"But Tsuzuki's okay?"

"I promise Bon."

The concern slowly left Hisoka's face to be replace by a look of minor irritation. "Why are you calling me that?"

"What? Bon?"

"Yes that."

"It seemed fitting."

"Fitting my ass, don't call me that."

"Sure thing Bon, no problem." Watari watched with a bright smile as Hisoka opened his mouth, probably to give him a piece of his mind, but was interrupted by the wickering of a horse. They both turned to see Tatsumi and Tsuzuki arrive, each leading a horse. Tatsumi strode unhesitatingly into the clearing where they had stopped to rest and take stalk, but Tsuzuki hung back by the trees, his eyes fixed only on Hisoka.

Hisoka met his gaze steadily.

Suddenly a relieved smile crossed Tsuzuki's face and he walked over to Hisoka. Hisoka reached out a hand, and carefully, Tsuzuki took it. Helping the youth to his feet, he pulled him in close to his side.

Tatsumi, in the meantime, was eyeing the horses speculatively. "So, how are we going to do this," he asked no one in particular.

"Slowly," Watari said seriously. "Bon and I will ride one, you can ride the other, and Tsuzuki can lead them both."

"But I…" Tatsumi began.

"Have a concussion," Watari concluded. "You won't make it out of the forest without collapsing on foot. You can direct Tsuzuki to where the buggy is. I wouldn't be able to make it out either," he gestured to his stained clothing. "Too much blood loss, I'll probably be out in an hour or two, so bon can ride with me and make sure I don't fall off my horse when I pass out. Besides," he gave Hisoka a side long look, noticing the tension in the way he held himself and his hands, "I'm guessing someone gave bon a little something for pain earlier, but it's wearing off, so I'm planning to give him a little something else before we get going."

"And where are we going?" Tsuzuki asked.

"We can figure that out after we reach the buggy," Watari decided.

"Actually," Tatsumi said, turning away from the horse that he'd been eyeing as if were a greater evil than Muraki. "I would like to invite the three of you to accompany me. I have to stop in the village, of course, to inform them that the forbidden castle is now the forbidden pile of smouldering rubble and the creature that dwelt there is no more, then I will be returning to my lord the Count's house. I am sure that he would be pleased to offer you his hospitality." Here Tatsumi smiled. "And if not, then I would be pleased to offer you mine."

Watari looked surprised, but quickly regrouped. Exchanging a look with Tsuzuki, he nodded. "Thank you, I believe we are all happy to accept."

And so, an hour later; tired, sore, and very happy, the small group finally headed out, taking the first steps of their happily ever after.


	9. Chapter 9

**Epilogue**

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_**Present day**_

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"…and the dig had almost run out of funding when we discovered the ruins!"

"They say it was a castle?"

"Yup, but something destroyed it good! We've found a lot of evidence of fire damage, and some strange relics…"

"Over here! Hurry! Over here! We've found something!"

"It looks like a man!"

"But how can he be here? The site is hundreds of years old!"

"I think he just moved!"

"Impossible!"

"Holy shi…"

.

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The End


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